Vine

Flipbooks have been around since 1868 when they were invented as “kineographs” by John Barnes Linnett. They used to fascinate crowds as the pioneer of moving image media before they were eclipsed by, you know, film projectors. So you totally need a new way to make flipbooks now, right?

There’s a problem inherent in the basic premise of a video-art fair. On the one hand, it’s refreshing to see artwork at a fair in different media than painting, works on paper, and the occasional sculpture, which are the usual standbys at fairs because they’re easier for a quick sell. On the other, the format doesn’t really suit video art, because fairs are not designed for extended looking. While it feels like an increasingly glaring omission these days to not see more multimedia work at fairs, there’s also reason why that’s the case.

By now you may have heard of Vine. If you’re on Twitter at all, you’ve definitely heard of and/or seen it. You may not have actually used Vine, but you probably will soon — it’s the newest multimedia format to hit social networks, a more complicated version of a GIF or a simplified version of a home movie.